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Rome: Printing-press of the Reverend Apostolic Camera,, 1608. The Professor of Secret's guide to alchemy First edition of Della Porta's influential treatise on the art of distillation, the most comprehensive overview of the subject in the 16th century, beautifully illustrated with a series of fine woodcuts depicting contemporary chemical apparatus. This copy in contemporary vellum is complete with Lauri's portrait, the best-known likeness of the author. With the present work, Della Porta expanded the section on distillation in book X of his most celebrated work, Magia Naturalis (1589). The art of distillation, as he explains in accordance with the alchemical tradition, consented to extract the essence from natural objects, in order to access and exploit their intrinsic virtues or faculties. In the first chapters of De distillatione, Della Porta presents a variety of distillation techniques using detailed illustrations of the required chemical equipment, such as furnaces, retorts, and condensers. A…
Read More De distillatione lib. IX. Quibus certa methodo, multiplicique artificio, penitioribus naturae arcanis detectis, cuiuslibet mixti in propria elementa resolutio, perfecte docetur by PORTA, Giovanni Battista della - 1608
by PORTA, Giovanni Battista della
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De distillatione lib. IX. Quibus certa methodo, multiplicique artificio, penitioribus naturae arcanis detectis, cuiuslibet mixti in propria elementa resolutio, perfecte docetur
by PORTA, Giovanni Battista della
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Rome: Camera Apostolica, 1608. 1st Edition. Soft cover. Very Good. 1st Edition. Soft cover. 4to - over 9¾ - 12" tall. 4to (215 x 160 mm). [20], 154, [6] pp. Title with printer's device, woodcut initials, head- and tailpieces, full-size engraved portrait of the author, 35 woodcut text illustrations, epigrams at beginning with Hebrew, Greek, Chaldaean, Persian and Illyrian scripts; colophon and woodcut device on final leaf verso. Signatures: *4 *6 A-V4. Bound in contemporary limp vellum, bottom edge titled in manuscript (single wormhole in upper joint, light soiling and rubbing of covers, inner front hinge partially broken). Some soiling at head of title, text very little browned, some minor spotting, paper flaw with paper thinning and tear at fore-marging of leaf S1 (outside text area), portrait leaf detached. A very good+ copy in untouched first binding. ----
RARE FIRST EDITION. Della Porta's treatise gives the most comprehensive view of the applications of distillation in the sixteenth century. The work is an expansion of the section on distillation in Book X of the enlarged edition of his Magia naturalis (1589). "It deals in successive books with the names of the vessels used in the various distillation processes (fancifully compared with animals and birds) and the degree of heat; distillation of waters; oils of flowers, exotic plants, resins, and woods; strong waters (aqua regia), water or oil of vitriol, oil of sulphur (with figure of a multiple-headed alembic), and expressed oils" (Partington). "This book is as rare as it is beautiful [. . .] among the many fine woodcuts contained in the book, the most curious are those depicting pieces of apparatus likened to different animals" (Duveen).
Bibliography: Norman 1725; Partington I, p.24; Ferguson II, 215f.; Duveen 481; NLM/Krivatsy 9177; Riccardi I(ii), 312. - Visit our website to see more images!
RARE FIRST EDITION. Della Porta's treatise gives the most comprehensive view of the applications of distillation in the sixteenth century. The work is an expansion of the section on distillation in Book X of the enlarged edition of his Magia naturalis (1589). "It deals in successive books with the names of the vessels used in the various distillation processes (fancifully compared with animals and birds) and the degree of heat; distillation of waters; oils of flowers, exotic plants, resins, and woods; strong waters (aqua regia), water or oil of vitriol, oil of sulphur (with figure of a multiple-headed alembic), and expressed oils" (Partington). "This book is as rare as it is beautiful [. . .] among the many fine woodcuts contained in the book, the most curious are those depicting pieces of apparatus likened to different animals" (Duveen).
Bibliography: Norman 1725; Partington I, p.24; Ferguson II, 215f.; Duveen 481; NLM/Krivatsy 9177; Riccardi I(ii), 312. - Visit our website to see more images!
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- Format/Binding Soft cover
- Book Condition Used - Very Good
- Quantity Available 1
- Edition 1st Edition
- Publisher Camera Apostolica
- Place of Publication Rome
- Date Published 1608
- Keywords Chemistry, chemical apparatus, distillation
We have 1 copies available starting at A$24,227.50.
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De distillatione lib. IX.: Quibus certa methodo, multiplicique artificio, penitioribus naturae arcanis detectis, cuiuslibet mixti in propria elementa resolutio, perfectè docetur.
by DELLA PORTA, Giovanni Battista
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